An exPSIting trip [Ryuu]

After the recent incident involving a mysterious creature from out of this world, one that neither Hans or the Spiritualist Rapture had any clue as to its origins or even identity, Hans would hit his contacts up at PSI for information. He wasn't exactly pleased with what he was told. To make a long story short, the creature indeed was NOT from this world- much less any that were known to them. In addition, what actual information there actually was based off of the creature's appearance and capabilities, there was a very high chance that it was somthing Eldritch in nature. A being that existed well outside the realms of mortal understanding, and which often made those who even caught wind of their influence insane. Cults did spring up and worship some of these abominations of reality and nature, which some PSI Agents were tasked with dealing with. But by the way that he was being told, it sounded like these other Eldritch creatures were more akin to alien gods than what he and Rapture had fought.

Needless to say he was very concerned for what this creature and its "eternal mother" were up to, and thus suggested to Rapture that they should maybe band together for longer term; also find others to help them. To which he also suggested for appearances that they should stop by PSI's headquarters, so that Hans could touch base face to face with his superiors, Rapture could maybe get officially invovled with them, and maybe they could pick up a few things for potential allies. Which is what would bring them to a very prominent and grand estate somewhere in a bustling German City. It was understandably walled off from the public, with guards watching a pair of gates on opposite sides of the estate. On the surface this would just look like a slightly paranoid rich person home, and otherwise blended in with the rest of society.

Hans had already made sure that his superiors knew that he was bringing Rapture. He didn't get much resistance either, which was one less headache he'd have to worry about as they pulled up infront of the place. "I'm both grateful and surprised that they agreed to let me bring you with me. We try to maintain some anonymity and secrecy for security reasons. But we also don't have enough Eastern specialists so that could also be part of it," Hans remarked to Rapture as he led the way up to the little guard house beside the gate. An older gentleman pokedhis head out expectantly, and Hans handed him some papers. The guard slipped back inside for a moment and after a couple minutes came back, handing the papers back before he turned to push a switch that opened the gate. "It's been a little while since I've been back here," Hans added off handedly, leading the way inside through the well kept and surveyed grounds. A keen observer would notice that while there wasn't a heavy pressence of guards, that there were security cameras looking out over the place- no doubt there was also a security office nearby each cluster of cameras.

Rapture had never been to Germany. Surprising, seeing her close connection with Facade, but never really had a reason to go. The view was nice enough, although she certainly preferred a bustling Asian city or a tranquil little village near Mount Fuji. Either way, leaving her shrine was a common activity, and her monetary ties made journeying rather nice. Hans Alexander Morte proved to be an interesting travel companion, and a well-mannered one to boot. Agreeing to work with him for the foreseeable had been an easy decision despite her trepidation with him initially. He reminded her of a lax, cool version of her other German friend who was thankfully more easily detached to emotion than Liev Aleksandr Ehrlichmann. She didn’t think she could make a nearly twelve-hour long journey with that guy.

The estate itself didn’t stick out too much nor did it fade into the background. Certainly not when she entered the grounds with Hans and saw all of the cameras. Her shrine had plenty, but all were hidden quite well. It’s like this place wanted its visitors both welcome and not to know what they were dealing with. Rapture, despite her use of the technology, hated being filmed. It had never been her forte, and despite her flashy appearance, she would rather turn attention away. It often got in the way of getting a job done. Still, she recognized the importance of even being allowed in here. Being a foreigner always had its set of advantages and disadvantages, but another factor to be considered was the fact that she had very publicly rioted against a government organization. C’est la vie.

Today, Rapture wore her traditional Japanese regalia alongside her very untraditional numerous piercings and spiked hair adornments. If they were to go through a metal detector, she’d probably blow the whole thing up.


“I’m glad to be here,” she admitted dryly, not wanting to show too much enthusiasm. After all, this trip might provide answers for the residents of Little Nightmare.

Hans nodded quietly as they were eventually greeted by none other than Hans' mentor. He was naturally an older looking gentleman with dark hair, and his sense of style seemed to reflect that. It was also functional with his overcoat, no doubt he could conceal quite a number of small tools or weapons if he needed to. But his body language also conveyed that he was important, and his scarred face told enough stories to convey he had seen plenty of action. "Hans, it's good to see you in one piece still," the man greeted him first, considering them both. He didn't have much of an accent but there was one.

"Dominik, likewise. This is Rapture, the one I told you about," Hans nodded in greeting, introducing Rapture. "Rapture, this is Dominik Burchard; my mentor," Hans continued, introducing Dominik to her.

"More so in the field of Lycanthropy; a pleasure," Dominik half bowed in greeting, notably not taking his eyes off of Rapture as he did so.

Rapture considered the man. He seemed tame enough, for someone in the field of lycanthropy. Werewolves, huh? Unlike in Western culture, Asian cultures never developed the trend. Most wolf-related folklore was that of the Ōkami. She noted his lingering eye but did not take offense; she was an outsider and a strange-looking person, with burning blue eyes and multiple piercings, not to mention incredibly short. What this man might be able to do for them by way of the alien and “eternal mother,” she didn’t know. Perhaps he had greeted them only due to his ties with hans. Either way, Ryuuzaki didn’t think too much of him.

“Burchard,” she said by way of greeting, but did not return the bow. He would have to earn her respect, first. Something about the guy seemed… off. Then again, she had only just met Hans. “Don’t know too much about werewolves or aliens, for that matter. I’m here to learn. Maybe provide some insight into my own expertise in exchange.” Her speech was clipped and strange to the ear, a bizarre accent but confident.

The man's spirit didn't give off anything strange, but simply echoed that he had seen some stuff. "I am not here to teach you either I'm afraid, this was a courtesy," Dominik replied gruffly, not taking offense to her not returning the gesture. "If you'll follow me," he continued, leading the pair inside. The inside of the estate looked much as you'd expect of a lavish residence. But other than them, it seemed very quiet as they made their way down one of the hallways. "Hans has assured me that your experiences with Yokai will be quite useful. I'm sure our other hunters will appreciate anything you wish to share with us," Dominik commented off handedly as he walked up to a painting that was hanging on the wall. He pulled out a card from one of his pockets and held it up to a very small spot on the painting until there was a soft beep.

In secret passageway fashion, the wall the painting was hanging on would slide off to the side, revealing a flight of stairs downwards. "An elevator would've paid for itself by now," Dominik said which was an attempt at humor as he continued leading them downwards. Incase it wasn't obvious the reason for it was to actually hide their operations from prying eyes- and the curious butler or maid. At the bottom they'd find themselves in an underground facility that if you didn't know better could moonlight as a dungeon. It was slightly more active down here, with the occasional man in a lab coat or a guard and the like moving through further down the halls. "Well, this is where we part ways. It was pleasant to see you again Hans, and it was nice meeting you as well, Rapture," Dominik said his farewells as he turned to head back up.

"What we're looking for is down this way," Hans said gesturing toward one of the hallways. He hadn't been here specifically for awhile but still remembered the layout very well. But he wouldn't have to remember as someone turned the corner and spotted them. It was a red headed girl that didn't look too much older than them.

"Snowy!" She greeted Hans, as his hair was white so the nickname was obvious- that and Hans usually displayed as much emotion as a snowman.

"Rebecca," Hans greeted her simply as she approached them.

"I heard that you would be stopping by. Who's this?" Rebecca asked curiously.

"Rebecca, Rapture- Rebecca is one of the technicians in the research and development department," Hans intoduced her more to Rapture than the other way around.

Rapture observed her surroundings with mild interest. The hidden passageway via painting was a nice touch, something you’d usually see in the movies versus real life. But one could say the same of most of the things that happened to her. Burchard eventually left as they progressed to a more intensive facility. Men with lab coats seemed to be in abundance, making her wonder how much science played into the supernatural at this facility. One would think that the two were separate, but after staying in the States for some time, the yokai priestess found the two married more often than not. Still, it was a strange place. She felt that her every move was being carefully watched and recorded, and the truth might have been just that. She could feel her spirits’ unease begin to collectively grow, to which she mentally reminded them that even though they were in foreign territory, they outmatched most in power alone.

The girl gave a wry smile at Hans’s nickname, an apt one for sure. His hair was an obvious giveaway for an origin story, and she assumed that his cold personality had to do with it too. So, the girl’s name was Rebecca. That seemed like quite a normal name for such a strange place. She appeared nice enough, and Rapture nodded in greeting. “Hey,” she replied casually. “Any dark secrets I should know about Morte? Asking for a friend.”

Rebecca seemed to smile playfully at Rapture's question. "Well we kind of grew up here together, so I could have some secrets- love the piercings by the way," she replied, she was definitely strange for this place anyway.

"Please don't..." Hans said monotoned.

"I can tell you he was a lot more shy and talkative than he is now," she teased good naturedly.

"Rebecca, we are here on business. Pray, do not go out of your way to embarrass the boy," Anselm rasped from Hans' shadow looking up at her with his yellow burning eyes.

"Oh, Anslem- sorry it's hard to notice you... you should come out more often," she apologized sincerely.

"We prefer not drawing attention to ourselves... it gets in the way of work," Hans monotoned again.

"Right, so you were asking about the weird... alien squid thing right? Dad mentioned it, if you'll follow me this way," Rebecca offered leading the way she had just come.

Rapture listened to what Rebecca had to say with mild amusement, but was surprised when Anslem took the reins and piped up. She was sure glad that none of her spirits could do that. It would be a whole other level of anxiety and tension that none of them needed. Just being here seemed to put them on edge, but not as much as Rapture would be after what happened next.

Her cellphone rang. Unusual, especially because she had left specific instructions not to be bothered. However, when she saw that Facade was the one calling her, she had her doubts. It had already been established that he would only use that number for emergencies. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to take this,” the yokai priestess grimaced and stepped aside.

Picking up the call, Rapture spared no small talk. “What’s wrong?”

“Azura and Juuzou have been admitted to the hospital. Their conditions worsened before they fell into complete comas.” The German-accented voice sounded grim, and rightfully so. “I’m keeping an eye on the others. Please make haste. That’s all.”

“Got it. Thanks for letting me know.” Rapture knew that Facade would not have called if he weren’t desperate. There he was, doing a good thing by taking in homeless people and he was thanked with a big pile of psycho-shit. She returned to the small group and tucked her cellphone away. “News from Little Nightmare. Two people are in comas now. Things are getting worse.”

"Take your time," Rebecca reassured her as she and Hans continued on to what clearly looked like a lab of sorts straight out of a James Bond movie, while cliched as that sounded it made sense to have enough space in order to safely test experimental equipment, as was being done. "My father thinks your psycho squid might be some kind of doom bringer, what you fought being just a projection of what it is. Which may imply that it might not be able to exist in our world... he theorizes," Rebecca added to Hans off handedly. "So... you like her?" Rebecca asked a question that Hans was not expecting.

Hans had just been his usual being quiet and nodding to acknowledge he understood, when his expression broke into confusion. "Pardon?" Hans asked her to repeat herself, making sure he had actually heard that correctly.

"You don't usually partner up with other people- you're taking after Dominik too much," Rebecca replied warmly, trying not to pry too much incase she was just assuming- which given how Hans was, she very well might be.

"It's rare to find someone who shares my field of expertise, much rarer to find them capable in it," Hans replied sincerely, sort of getting what she was hinting at but for now that's all there was to it. Besides, he was here on business and didn't want to get distracted. When Rapture rejoined them, Hans' expression fell. That was bad... very bad, but hopefully Rebecca and her father could share some insight into what this unknown foe was planning.

"AH! Hans! My boy is that you?" A voice cut in, the speaker a much older looking man with some very unnerving looking goggles. Most of the goggles' design looked high end tech but the 'eyes' themselves were uncomfortably... alive and blinking. Other than that, he looked less like a scientist and more akin to a dishelved scholar who hadn't been asleep for days straight. "And good day to you as well Anselm," he added glancing at Hans' shadow.

"Oh, father! Must you wear that all the time? It's... creepy," Rebecca yelped at the sight of it.

"Ewot? Yes yes, it's the best way to understand and observer supernatural phenomena that our degraded and overloaded senses tune out with all of our fancy radio waves, television and electricity buzzing through the air," he replied confused that she'd even ask such a question.

"Professor Blackwood, I don't mean to be rude but time is becoming a pressing matter. Some of the victims of the creature have now gone into comas, and anything you know that might help would be most appreciated," Hans cut in seriously, trying to steer the conversation back to where it needed to belong.

"Hmm, oh dear..." Blackwood very underwhelming reacted with puzzlement. "Well then you will be happy to know that the form of the creature you fought was merely a projection-"

"I told him that, dad..." Rebecca helped cut in. Blackwood blinked for a moment and only looked slightly offended that he was being interupted so frequently.

"Right right, this eternal mother you mentioned unfortunately could be quite a few cosmic horrors that have visited mankind over the years. But based on how they've acted with secondary agents kidnapping people and bringing them back, it's safe to say that they are either very young, or have become weakened to the point that secondary agents are required," Blackwood continued. That was nice to hear but what it wasn't exactly what they wanted to hear. "From the samples you sent me, I've found traces of some kind of unusual brine that seems to be made of salt water and something very similar to cerebrospinal fluid- the stuff our brains float in. There were other traces that I've yet to identify with as little as you sent me..." Blackwood added.

That was abit more helpful. "After we drove the creature off, I did make sure to gather up some more samples for you professor. But we need to know what are their intentions and how we can prepare to stop them from harming anyone else- and rescue its previous victims if possible," Hans asked offering him the new samples from his jacket pocket. Blackwood was more tha happy to take them.

"Well, based on my research into this field- mankind is so fickle, either damning or worshipping whatever they don't understand. Anyway, it IS possible that the eternal mother as I said is either a brand new entity- making finding any actual clues to her intentions impossible, or has become severely weakened the point she can only interact with the people that her lapdop has brought to her. We are fortunate that these eldritch horrors seem to be limited in how they can interact with out world, hence their need for swaying weak minded humans to their cause. But when they find some that are willing to invite them to our world... then you have a very big problem," Blackwood explained.

Rapture listened to the eclectic man with growing dread. A cosmic entity? A new one? She had done her best to stay away from anything alien-related all her life, vying for the supernatural on the spiritual side, not cosmic paranormal. This knowledge made her feel out of her realm so to speak, like any hold she had on the case was now gone. She had gotten answers, but they only lead to more questions. Wondering if her efforts were better had back at Little Nightmare, the petite powerhouse had sown her doubts and reaped them within a matter of minutes. A mental tug from the Mother Tiger bade her to calm down and take a step back. So, an alien force was threatening her abode and the people she knew. She would deal with it just like any invading pest: with knowledge and the right tools.

“I’m trying to wrap my mind around all this,” she began. “My thing is attacking things head-on and asking questions later, but that’s clearly not going to cut it here. So, this is what I know: the thing wanted me. Its target was not the residents of Little Nightmare, but me. It referred to me as a ‘dust mote,’ whatever that means. As I told Morte, I’d like to see it try to catch me at my shrine. Maybe we can get it to appear again with your organization at hand.” A bit of time passed before the yokai priestess continued. “It seems to target the broken, beaten, and the damned. I could… I dunno, get myself in a bad place emotionally. Bait the thing.”

It was a rickety plan, if a plan at all. For now, it’s all Rapture had.

"One of its passing thoughts was also needing nourishment," Hans added to Rapture's statement of it wanting her.

Blackwood looked thoughtful for a moment as he mentally placed these bits of information in with what he knew and had studied. "It isn't unheard of for creatures such as these to hunger... but the fact it was targetting you specifically. Hmmm, maybe it was after you for what your mind holds," Blackwood said thoughtfully, giving Rapture a more telling look that in the same way he saw Anselm, he could see to a degree that her mind had roommates. "I don't believe The Eternal Mother is the one specifically targetting you, so much as her lapdog. These greater beings don't typically need nourishment that we understand, but any of their lesser kin or servants very likely would. In which case, as I said there may be something about the fact that you share a mind," he continued.

"So it was greedy?" Hans asked, referring to how it was wanting to 'eat' Rapture for having more than one entity sharing her mind. But hearing the emphasis on mind. "Does it feed on thoughts?" Hans asked for clarification.

"I can't say with complete certainty. Its need to project its form implies that it certainly could, but the fact that I've found salt water also implies a physical presence; so it could potentially need more... tangible food," Blackwood replied simply.

"What of drawing it out into an ambush?" Hans brought Rapture's suggestion back to focus.

"Unfortunately, PSI isn't as well staffed and manned by a disciplined military staff. Agents are all taken from volunteers who have demonstrated expertise and skill in their field, and are pooling resources to each combat potential threats. With actual aliens being so varied and numerous, we don't have an agent who's experienced with this kind of threat. Only me and my father have any remote knowledge of the matter," Rebecca chimed in.

"Weapons seem effective against it regardless..." Hans pointed out.

"But the lapdog isn't dead is it?" Blackwood countered. "As of the moment, I fear that until we can track it down to its lair, you'd only be putting out fires whenever it pops up. I'm hoping that maybe I'll be able to learn more. If we're lucky, it won't actually be in the ocean. Though PSI does have its fair share of equipment and vehicles, that'd still be problematic. Although, depending on how far and quickly its projection works, given the fact its victims have been returned in a short time, it is reasonable to assume that it must be nearby Jump, perhaps off shore underwater somewhere," Blackwood suggested hopeful. "For now, I will see to getting these new samples tested. This is more than I had so I expect to get more answers about the lapdog, which may give us more insight into its master. I will keep you informed, Hans," Blackwood finished as he would try to excuse himself and head off to do just that.

Rapture wasn’t sure what to say. She felt like she had wasted time coming here, time that could have better been spent researching the conditions of the affected. Not that the yokai priestess could have really done anything, but perhaps it could have been something. Something more than a flight to Germany where her use was as effective as a bandaid on a dam. This information led her to nowhere but dead ends, and as someone who thrived in their natural element and excelled in her deeds, the frustration felt incredibly heavy. Miles away, her acquaintance stood in a hospital, his most hated location in the entire world, with two unconscious friends. He would soon have to return to Little Nightmare, leaving them behind. The thought made her blood curdle. The situation was not being dealt with quickly enough.

After listening to the strange scientist and witnessing his departure, Rapture made up her mind. Without excusing herself, she just pulled out her phone and redialed Facade. The German picked up quickly, but before he could speak, she did instead. “I’m coming back to Jump soon. We’re going to move the remaining residents of Little Nightmare to my shrine. That should keep the alien creature at bay. Gather everyone’s things together and tell them they’re going on a field trip. The Shrine can provide protection until we catch this thing,” she continued. “This is not a request, this is an order. The lower levels are free of any yokai, so that’s where we’ll put everyone. I’ll be back in twelve hours to open it up. That’s all.” Before Facade could reply, she hung up, then turned to Hans and Rebecca.

“With the residents and myself as bait, we lure the creature in again to gain more information. Without PSI’s help, we’ll have to count on our own tactics. I’ll enlist the help of the resident friendly spirits and utilize The Shrine’s state-of-the-art surveillance system. My compatriot, Zenith, will assist as well,” Rapture explained. “I’m going to need you, Hans.” She used the man’s first name for the first time, adding emphasis. “And even though PSI can’t give us men, perhaps we can get some resources. I have technology to detect spiritual activity, not alien activity. Think they can manage that?”

This was indeed frustrating. Why did it have to be some kind of... alien creature from space? It sounded like one of those campy little horror films about alien monsters snatching your bodies; except this thing was real, and it seemed to be acting with anonymity. The one source he thought they could turn to for answers only scratched the surface. Most of it could've probably been deduced with some thought, it made sense to for now assume that given the speed it could go into the city for victims and return them, that its lair was probably somewhere close by. The salt-water did suggest that it was in the ocean, and given its octopus-like appearance that probably made more sense. However, they still needed a way to put it down for good, and stop it and its master.

Hans was brought out of his musings when Rapture called someone else, which given the one sided conversation must have been with Facade. It seemed like they were doubling down on this bait idea, which was better than nothing. But that assumed the creature would come for them. Its interest in Rapture was definitely good motiivation, but trying to lure it into an obvious trap seemed counter intuitive. It had stated that it would not make the same error again. Still, if it DID take the bait, perhaps his scythe could send it off. He wasn't able to get a solid cut-through last time, and he would make sure the next time would cut through it completely. "You have me," Hans said in response to her needing him, he wanted to see this through no matter of whether or not it was outside of their field of expertise.

"We can surely do that much for you. We've actually been looking into ways of counteracting the effects of psionics ourselves, but we've acquired what they used to keep that Brother Blood fellow under lock and key. That should definitely prevent it from being able to directly affect your minds," Rebecca smiled softly. "As for alien detection, given its projection, your technology should work just fine. It is after all a projection of the mind, which is the spirit in purest form- it's the part that make us who we are," Rebcca added, leading the way to somewhere else within the labs. She'd lead them to an armory where they kept some of the standard gear for PSI agents.

"What about something that can track it back to its lair?" Hans questioned.

"Oh, if it was using its physical body there'd be all kinds of diffrent ways. Even technology designed to detect spirits or their essence is limited by range. But given that you both experienced some of its thoughts when you chased it off, you'd probably have to do it again and hope you get lucky. That or something I would not recommend ever, and that would be to... try and trap its essence inside of you somehow. The latter would give you plenty of time to extract information, but is very, very dangerous," Rebecca replied with a sigh.

"That seems to be the idea behind us baiting it. But with its caution, what should we expect?" Hans asked as he looked over some things, there were a number of Geistcraft Lanterns much like his, even flashlights- which he had been told once were HIGHLY effective at more or less paralyzing most spirits with their light. The lantern did the same thing, but covered a wider range than a flashlight which was basically a cone of light.

There were other things which screamed "occult" that also met tech, much like the goggles Blackwood wore- like an unholy union between the two. "Well, depending on how established its master is, it could be the one creature, could be many- could be lesser ones. There's not enough information to go off of right now to make a clear guess. But if you're trying to lure it into a fortified stronghold of some kind, it could get as heavy handed as its capable of being. That depends on how badly it wants to get to Rapture," Rebecca said thoughtfully, finding what looked like some cooky ear pieces. "These are the devices that were allegedly used for guards to withstand Brother Blood's mental influences, which we've since been able to produce ourselves," she said setting them aside for the pair.

Rapture was more than ready to be the bait. It was interesting to hear about someone having to be inhabited by it, but she thought she could take it. Her spirits were incredibly strong, and she had rather recently begun to house her newest soul-bound guest, the Ivory Crow. It had not been a pleasant experience at first for sure, but one that had been mutually beneficial. But if she were to include an alien entity, how would she be able to get it out? They didn’t know how powerful the creature was, nor its machinations. This could prove to be a complete disaster. So far, the tenants of Little Nightmare had been temporarily possessed or something of the like. How would they trap it? What would happen to Rapture when or if it happened?

Another plan had to be laid. A device to trap the creature rather than a body as a vessel. If the creature had the same make up as a spirit, the yokai priestess might have a solution. Within the interior of the shrine, and ancient Japanese chest stood empty. It served as a holding pen for evil yokai and other destructive spirits, a container for the supernatural that could be utilized as a sort of observation tool. While the structure was built with sturdy metals, the sides and bottom had been carved out of sacred wood. The top, however, was completely open, protected by an invisible barrier to seal in whatever nasty creature. The seal’s strength depended on the user’s spiritual fortitude. If the captive’s will was stronger than the captor’s, the seal would be broken. Whether an alien would fit the parameters to be held in the chest was to be seen, and how they would get it in the chest was another matter entirely.

Rapture listened to what Rebecca had to say about Brother Blood and the devices they had devised to combat his psychic influence. Those should help for their enterprise. After picking up a pair and setting them back down, she explained the chest to Hans and Rebecca. After doing so, she continued. “The chest is large enough for me to fit in with room to spare. If we lure the creature in there, I can easily exit. Hopefully the same isn’t true with it, though. I really have no idea here. Aliens aren’t my thing. But it’s worth a shot.”

"That's not a chest, that's a trunk," Anselm remarked offhandedly.

Then a thought crossed his mind about the "anti-psionic" ear pieces. "Could the head pieces be used to prevent further manipulation from The Mother and The Creature?" Hans asked hopeful. If the victims were effectively being brainwashed, and this creature was psionic, it stood to reason that with these head pieces could be used to prevent it.

Rebecca considered it for a moment. "We've not done any tests on the matter- not that we have the means to. The only way we trust that these work is because of how it did keep Brother Blood under watch after he was taken down," Rebecca said also hopeful at the idea. "I can see to it that they get some as well, just in case," she added brightly.

"Very good, then it seems like we have most of what we'll need. I would disagree with this plan more if not for how stacked the odds would be against it escaping your shrine," Hans added in agreement with Rapture's plan.

"IF it comes to the shrine,. If its primary aim is to collect followers, it may very well hold off approaching you or your shrine. I just don't want all of thie preparation to be for naught," Anselm interjected with a good point. Sure it was signalling Rapture out, but Hans had suggested that it could've just been greedy. Based on it's allusion to caution, it didn't make much sense for the creature to so brazenly go into her shrine. It made more sense that it'd strike out elsewhere, at least in his mind.

"Unless we gave it a reason... which thse head pieces might do just that. If its 'Eternal Mother' suddenly can't keep in contact with her thralls, that might get its attention. I don't like suggesting it as an idea, but that would surely get its attention. If the severely affected can be moved, anyway..." Hans stated, explaining he didn't like the idea of including the victims. But his logic was also sound enough. Anselm was probably right in his thinking, but either way luring it to The Shrine was the only option they had that didn't involve potentially wasting more time trying to track it down.